As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we can only guess what's missing from some mic drawers and cabinets.
And, no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check, so nothing was insured. We are working on replacing the gate in front, installing an alarm system, and getting insurance, but it is President's day so it's not going as quickly as we would have liked.
Nydia's computer was stolen (which wasn't backed up) and the modems/ phone system was ripped out, so we'll be relatively out of commission for a few days.

I would like to ask for everyone's help first in keeping an eye out for all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops, and secondly (and more realistically) keeping an eye out for good deals on headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for (I know this sounds
surreal) Rod Stewart, and I'm going to have to get the studio running by then. I know I'm going to need to find headphones, cables, mics, and pre-amps by then. I'm not sure what else yet.

List of gear and Gabriel Roth's letter continued below...

FROM GABRIEL ROTH

Upon first glance we are definitely missing:
Fender Super Guitar Amp in case
Fender Deluxe Guitar Amp
A whole bunch of headphones and wires
Nydia's HP laptop computer
One Desktop MacIntosh Computer
One Purple Audio API style lunchbox with four Purple Audio Biz mic pre-amps
2 Yamaha NS10 monitors
Vintage Harmony Rocket Guitar
One steel string acoustic guitar
Martin Tenor sax in a gig bag
Technics 1200 turntable
Ion USB turntable
Teac Receiver/stereo amp
Sony dual deck CD burner/player
All of our modem/phone system stuff was ripped out and taken.
A whole bunch of condensor and dynamic microphones (I still need to figure out exactly what's missing) The power supply for my Trident console was tossed and the board was moved (probably not gently) so the status of that is still questionable.
A baldwin organ was tossed and is probably broken.
Lacie External hard drive

Over the next few days, as we sort out the rubble, we are going to figure out what else we lost.

We are putting in a roll down front gate, alarm system, and finally getting our insurance happening this week. We are also going to hire a security guard to watch the house for tonight as the cops and alarm guy seemed pretty confident that they will be back with a truck now that they've seen what's in here.

Thanks for keeping eyes open for us. AND PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US.

Thankfully, we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can't stop us. Sleep well knowing we here at Daptone will continue to...

Keep putting Soul up,

Gabriel Roth

P.S. On a lighter note, it seems like the burglars did drop a few items in order to lift Alex's old safe out of here, which was VERY heavy, VERY unwieldy, and also VERY EMPTY!

What a terrible thing! I'll get all collegues and fans of Datptone over here together and see what we are able to help with. We are with you, guys! All the best and our compassion, Jörg Kühnel, Brave George Music, Cologne, Germany

This is too bad, but no insurance? I live in the neighborhood and bought renters insurance that covers 25,000 dollars worth of stuff. It costs me $140 dollars a year, which is nothing. I got it through Priudential-Liberty Mutual, I guess their the same now or something. People need to be insured, esp since it's so cheap.

jackin studios used to be a pretty common occurence back in the days. from the outside the place looks like a crackhouse, now i bet you all feel stupid for lax security, cheap gates installed on the outside on a wooden frame, letting anybody in, including pot dealers and delivery men, no receptionist or security to challenge vistors, probably an open view of all your inventory to anybody who walked in, no security cameras, the safe was a big giveaway...nothing gets the imagination going than a big ass safe...i guess the 'community' really didnt support the hipster cause, im shocked...

commercial insurance is very different from renter's insurance. They own that building in bushwick, so they are not renters either. I pay over 1,000 a year to insure my photo business which is just me and my equipment.

$1k a year is really not a lot to pay for insurance relative to something like auto insurance. It's your livelihood, protect that shit. There really is no excuse for not being careful about this kind of stuff.

What does it matter that the studio was on MTV? it's no secret there's a business being run there, there are musicians going in and out for tours/recording sessions, and deliveries and everything that goes on while running a business.

the guys that came through didn't know daptone, they just knew there was a recording studio, they probably thought there'd be some top of the line stuff, pro-tools, more laptops, who knows. it's bushwick, it's really hot around here and residents are constently being robbed, the cops were surprised the house has been running the way it has for 6 years untouched. if the guys had seen the video and wanted anything that was shown there, they would have known what to look for and take, and would have shown up with a truck.

it's also no secret that there are MANY businesses being operated out of these old houses/lofts in this area. insurance? security? yeah that's defintiely a no-brainer, but wasn't done in the very beginning because of lack of any money at all, and absolutely should have been followed up on. however, i'd like to know how many indie labels pay for (or can afford) a round the clock security guard.

Also, to all the people who are rubbing the lack of insurance in Daptone's face, it's really great that none of you have ever made a mistake in your entire lives but maybe you could hold off until the smoke clears. Blaming somebody for making it less complicated for someone else to take whats not their is questionable at best anyway

sayin' they deserve it cause they didn't have insurance is like saying a girl deserved to be raped cause she wore a mini skirt. or that some one should die of cancer if they don't have have health insurance. shows how stupid some of this commenting is.

They're just letting people know what happened, not asking for charity or feeling sorry for themselves.

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"I think if they've got Rod Stewart coming in to do a session + all the Winehouse royalties, they're not exactly in squalor."

Theres no way they are receiving any royalties from the amy winehouse record, thats not the way the business works. They got paid for their studio time, and once she walked out that door they didnt see another penny. They are an independent label/studio who does honest work, they are lucky if they are breaking even every month. Cut them a break people.

And just because they have a session with rod stewart, that means they are rich? Thats fucking hilarious. Ive worked with famous artists before and I can barely pay my bills.

Read the statement carefully: it says "we have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for Rod Stewart". FOR Rod Stewart, not WITH Rod Stewart. It pretty clearly implies that they are putting down basic tracks upon which Rod will record the vocals in another (much more posh) studio. Rod Stewart in Bushwick? Not bloody likely.

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
cause if there's one thing that she don't need
Its another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto

People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or hell grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
Are we too blind to see,
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way

Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto

And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto

Then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
Tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries

As a crowd gathers round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

As her young man dies,
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin,
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto

hey dudes, love your records and music, but C'MON!! If you are a true business, recording multiple records, pressing thousands of copies each, touring, providing basics for Rod Stewart, selling merch, etc. then one of the first things you should have ever done when you structured your biz was secure insurance and protect your assets and inventory against theft or damage. especially in a shit part of Brooklyn. this doesn't do well to alter the conception that artists are flakes as business people.

"sayin' they deserve it cause they didn't have insurance is like saying a girl deserved to be raped cause she wore a mini skirt. or that some one should die of cancer if they don't have have health insurance. shows how stupid some of this commenting is.

They're just letting people know what happened, not asking for charity or feeling sorry for themselves.

people get robbed indiscriminately, it sucks to be victimized, "

making those comparisons is ridiculous! its more like running a restaurant and not having a fire extinguisher!

it is a shame to get all your stuff ripoff. if thay find out who did it thay should cut off there fucking hands to start with to show other thefs that crim dont pay. its time we went back a few hundred years and maybe we wouldnt have so much stealing and killing going on. if u kill some one you should be hung in the middle of town 6you rape some one cut there balls of. you hurt little kids you need to be drag down the road till u die. this world is going crazy time to sit up and do some thing about it. all thay will get is some time in jail and all that does is cost tax payers money. that could be going some were else like halping home less people. hope all goes well guys and you get back up and running soon

Definitely devastated about the news of Daptone. Just doesn't seem fair.

But time to use that energy (anger, confustion, ec...) for good! It's possible.http://savedaptone.com/ exists and is trying to raise money for Daptone Records, $4 (or one drink) at time ... spread the word.

Better yet, drink one less for the Boys in Bushwick, and give that $4 straight to'em!

I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for it.

We just got a great new Daptone Gold CD on behalf of Spectre Promotions. Wow--this absolutely a cool retro R&B/soul/funk gem. Tamla Motown meets Stax meets Westbound meets era Atlantic...just plain WOW. Typed in Deptone and came up to this forum re: all the gear that was compromised last February. Hopefully you guys have bounced back from the burglary a bit, and the future looks better for such a great little indie label keeping a classic style of American music very much alive.

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I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for down side...

I would like to ask for everyone's help first in keeping an eye out for all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops, and secondly (and more realistically) keeping an eye out for good deals on headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible.

We just got a great new Daptone Gold CD on behalf of Spectre Promotions. Wow--this absolutely a cool retro R&B/soul/funk gem. Tamla Motown meets Stax meets Westbound meets era Atlantic...just plain WOW. Typed in Deptone and came up to this forum re: all the gear that was compromised last February.

I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for down side...

Thank you for the topic to be follow-up on everything I am what I say laziness, but when the others left the others either of theft and computer modems, said an example of the thief will go to the place of the end times MIDDLE or accept traffic offender Kmalk Thank you

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This world is going crazy time to sit up and do some thing about it. all they will get is some time in jail and all that does is cost tax payers money. that could be going some were else like helping home less people..thanks

This world is going crazy time to sit up and do some thing about it. all they will get is some time in jail and all that does is cost tax payers money. that could be going some were else like helping home less people..thanks

That's too bad, and especially when you were shopping for insurance. I wonder if that had something to do with it. I know often it seems like the thief is someone who knew the shop/house/building was going to be empty, unsecured, alarm turned off, etc.